Sophomore albums can be ever tougher than virgin efforts are, but you’d never guess as much from taking a peek at the seamlessness of Bobby Dove’s Hopeless Romantic. Although created with much of the same stylish color their first record was, Dove’s follow-up to Thunderchild is a lot more personal, and you needn’t look much further than the LP’s title cut and lead music video to understand what I mean. They’re a singer/songwriter…
You can always tell when an artist is truly invested in the music they’re making, and after giving “Love to the Moon” a listen just this week, I think it’s obvious that Raquel Kiaraa is the real deal. Kiaraa’s honeysweet vocal and old timey harmonies are two of the biggest reasons why “Love to the Moon” feels familiar and fun at the same time, but looking even closer allows for…
Utilizing a jagged groove to emphasize the simplicity of their melodies in “Daughters of Progress.” Drawing together otherwise perplexing pulsations out of the ethers to form a casual rhythm in “New Dogs.” Dabbling in the best sort of overindulgence you can hope to find in a guitar-driven album in “Myth of You.” Slapping us around with the very audacity of a signature harmony in “Equation.” Waxflight mean business in their…
From an instrumental point of view, there’s no argument that Rob Alexander isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel in his new album Dream Out Loud; however, there’s also no denying that while he isn’t trying to break new ground in the pop/rock genre, he’s definitely stepping up his game as a soloist in a bold new era for the style. We’re given the chance to hear what Alexander can do at…
The refined purveyor of truth, Larry J, is back on the scene with two new singles. After recently undergoing a successful bypass, Larry has managed to write and record two quality Pop Country songs. His reputation precedes him, with a grocery list of achievements, collaborations, and accolades. He likes to keep it simple, when it comes to his music, so don’t expect any pretensions or obfuscations. Larry J delivers from…
Decade spanning country superstar Richard Lynch returns with the winning, affable My Guitar Drips Country. Starting with the effective tone setting “Starting Now”, Lynch makes it clear, he’s about love and togetherness, and while it comes with a decidedly religious tint that might not be for everyone, his message is undeniably altruistic and should be heard. MORE ON RICHARD LYNCH: https://richardlynchband.com/ With that song it recounts a man who’s turned…
Southern United States based Davy Williamson’s first solo single “Thin Disguise” from his debut EP release is the sort of track you want to have building a first impression for your solo career. Williamson makes great use of hard rock as a vehicle for his songwriting and manages invoking its strengths while still making a personal statement. He does it without any flash or unnecessary gloss. Williamson isn’t the sort…
Tom Tikka is and has always been a natural storyteller with the release of his newest EP That’s What Winston Churchill Said. With a majority of these songs written over the course of his life (the ending track “A Good Thing Going On” was written when Tikka was 18,) its clear why Tikka has remained in music and garnered as much acclaim as he has both solo and with other…
Very clearly from the beginning of his titular track “Things to Come”, Jeremy Parsons makes it clear that nostalgia is a powerful thing. The Nashville resident has made a name for himself, reclaiming the sounds and storytelling of more classic country as seen by the likes of legends like Hank Williams and George Jones (the latter of whom Parsons has opened for) and its easy to see why he’s a rising…
‘Wholething’ is that rare song that the heartless can enjoy thoroughly and the soulful can enjoy thoroughly. The former may be due to the completely irreverent, devil-may-care soliloquies of a one Afroman, an expert feature on the track given its tired and cliched subject matter about relationships, girls, being hot, and slipping past one’s significant other. HEWAS INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/iamhewas/ The latter will enjoy it for the sharp comparison to Afroman’s…
True talent and true grit show up in Evan Troop’s The Next Chapter. It takes just five songs to fall under this Texan’s spell. With exciting guitar shapes around each corner, bolstering Troop’s commanding baritone vocals, The Next Chapter is convincingly remarkable. Dallas’ Troop is a former Navy man, and a graduate of Southern Methodist University. His biography materials also state that his Canadian parents met at a music studio…
Everything but the Everything has one of those lengthy titles that reminds one of simpler, purer times. A particular era it calls to mind is the 80s, where edgy and eclectic band titles weren’t something to be scoffed at but rather lined up the columns of the Billboard 200. The contrast between said name and the common marketing PR choices in the Hollywood music scene only cements the implication creativity…
With a graceful hum that starts to resemble a yearning moan as the next few seconds go by, “Up to Us” charismatically welcomes us into the dark hue of Dreams of a Middle-Aged Man with a rather optimistic melody soon to swell from the silence. In songs like this one and the old world “Hymn for a Wanderer,” Mauri Dark – a.k.a. Mauri Kosonen – will wrap us in layers of neo-gothic…
While it would be foolish to think they’re the only element of sincere expression in the new single “Can’t Press Reset” by Francine Honey, the string arrangement in the song is perhaps reason enough to give it a close listen this season (alongside its companion video). URL: https://www.facebook.com/FrancineHoneySongs/ Creating the right kind of backdrop for a singer of Honey’s skillset can prove to be a little challenging for producers, but…
Darren Michael Boyd’s sophomore effort, Wonders Of The Invisible World, is everything as a music fan you would hope it could be. Abrasive, angry, uncompromising, wide-ranging. Part of Boyd’s craft is his ability to fuse sound with seemingly autobiographical influences. His debut solo album, aptly titled Lifting The Curse, was inspired by a life-altering accident and subsequent strenuous road to recovery. The term blood sweat and tears would not be…
Concept albums are nothing new. If you’re a fan of Green Day, you’re familiar with American Idiot. The Beach Boys’ brought us Pet Sounds. The Beatles’ masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the most famous concept albums in history. Singer/songwriter David Arn has released the incredible concept album, Traveler Tales. In his songs, he takes on the perspective of 14 different travelers, revealing much about human…
Billy Jeter has a story to tell, and “Sins Of Me” is the first single from the album coming next Spring, which is aptly entitled – Shineye Landing, and comes with a full-length set of more to tell than one song can cover, but it goes a long way to indicate what is going to be inside that package when it arrives. This song gives you enough to entice, but…
Sounding a bit like Ella Fitzgerald herself, the beautiful songbird Miss Freddye lends her voice to a song rumored to have been sung by Harriet Tubman. “Wade In The Water” is truly American – it’s words passed down generation to generation. Miss Freddye’s version is slower paced, but rapidly heartfelt. “Wade In The Water” is from Miss Freddye’s forthcoming gospel album, expected in 2021. It’s a gift to be able…
“Just Like Xmas (Love Is War)” is a vulnerable holiday song. This emotive work, from Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps is uncompromising. Frosty lyrics and an exceptional music bed, the icing on the cake is Tikka’s indie-rocker vocals. He’s a born front man and this pop rock tune could just be the indie radio sleeper hit of 2020. After a few listens, the nuances and unveiling of an artist…
Wowing us with their soft touch in the title track. Brushing up with themes sourced from Britpop, American folk-rock and even outsider music in “Elsie’s Last Stand.” Allowing for crushing brawn to amalgamate with a tender melodicism in “Desolate Angel.” Confounding us with contradictions in “Seven Seconds of Summer” while adhering to the strictest of sonic rules in “A Toy for Juliette” and “Pretty Blue Gun.” They are Fitzsimon and…